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Draw and modify objects on the perspective grid

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Illustrator

Illustrator

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  1. Illustrator User Guide
  2. Get to know Illustrator
    1. Introduction to Illustrator
      1. What's new in Illustrator
      2. Common questions
      3. Illustrator system requirements
      4. Illustrator for Apple silicon
      5. GPU performance
    2. Workspace
      1. Workspace basics
      2. Create documents
      3. Learn faster with the Illustrator Discover panel
      4. Accelerate workflows using the Contextual Task Bar
      5. Toolbar
      6. Default keyboard shortcuts
      7. Customize keyboard shortcuts
      8. Introduction to artboards
      9. Manage artboards
      10. Customize the workspace
      11. Properties panel
      12. Set preferences
      13. Touch Workspace
      14. Microsoft Surface Dial support in Illustrator
      15. Undo edits and manage design history
      16. Rotate view
      17. Rulers, grids, and guides
      18. Accessibility in Illustrator
      19. View artwork
      20. Use the Touch Bar with Illustrator
      21. Files and templates
    3. Tools in Illustrator
      1. Tools at a glance
      2. Select tools
        1. Selection
        2. Direct Selection
        3. Group Selection
        4. Magic Wand
        5. Lasso
        6. Artboard
      3. Navigate tools
        1. Hand
        2. Rotate View
        3. Zoom
      4. Paint tools
        1. Gradient
        2. Mesh
        3. Shape Builder
      5. Text tools
        1. Type
        2. Type on a Path
        3. Vertical Type
      6. Draw tools
        1. Pen
        2. Add Anchor Point
        3. Delete Anchor Point
        4. Anchor Point
        5. Curvature
        6. Line Segment
        7. Rectangle
        8. Rounded Rectangle
        9. Ellipse
        10. Polygon
        11. Star
        12. Paintbrush
        13. Blob Brush
        14. Pencil
        15. Shaper
        16. Slice
      7. Modify tools
        1. Rotate
        2. Reflect
        3. Scale
        4. Shear
        5. Width
        6. Free Transform
        7. Eyedropper
        8. Blend
        9. Eraser
        10. Scissors
        11. Dimension
    4. Generative AI (not available in mainland China)
      1. Generate scenes, subjects, and icons using text prompts
      2. Generate vector patterns using text prompts
      3. Generate vector shape fills using text prompts
      4. Recolor your artwork using text prompts
    5. Quick actions
      1. Retro text
      2. Neon glow text
      3. Old school text
      4. Recolor
      5. Convert sketch to vector
  3. Illustrator on the web (beta)
    1. Illustrator on the web (beta) overview
    2. Illustrator on the web (beta) FAQ
    3. Troubleshooting issues FAQ
    4. Keyboard shortcuts for Illustrator on the web (beta)
    5. Create and combine shapes on the web
    6. Add and edit text on the web
    7. Apply colors and gradients on the web
    8. Draw and edit paths on the web
    9. Work with cloud documents on the web
    10. Invite collaborators to edit on the web
  4. Illustrator on the iPad
    1. Introduction to Illustrator on the iPad
      1. Illustrator on the iPad overview
      2. Illustrator on the iPad FAQs
      3. System requirements | Illustrator on the iPad
      4. What you can or cannot do on Illustrator on the iPad
    2. Workspace
      1. Illustrator on the iPad workspace
      2. Touch shortcuts and gestures
      3. Keyboard shortcuts for Illustrator on the iPad
      4. Manage your app settings
    3. Documents
      1. Work with documents in Illustrator on the iPad
      2. Import Photoshop and Fresco documents
    4. Select and arrange objects
      1. Create repeat objects
      2. Blend objects
    5. Drawing
      1. Draw and edit paths
      2. Draw and edit shapes
    6. Type
      1. Work with type and fonts
      2. Create text designs along a path
      3. Add your own fonts
    7. Work with images
      1. Vectorize raster images
    8. Color
      1. Apply colors and gradients
  5. Cloud documents
    1. Basics
      1. Work with Illustrator cloud documents
      2. Share and collaborate on Illustrator cloud documents
      3. Share documents for review
      4. Upgrade cloud storage for Adobe Illustrator
      5. Illustrator cloud documents | Common questions
    2. Troubleshooting
      1. Troubleshoot create or save issues for Illustrator cloud documents
      2. Troubleshoot Illustrator cloud documents issues
  6. Add and edit content
    1. Drawing
      1. Drawing basics
      2. Edit paths
      3. Draw pixel-perfect art
      4. Draw with the Pen, Curvature, or Pencil tool
      5. Draw simple lines and shapes
      6. Draw rectangular and polar grids
      7. Draw and edit flares
      8. Trace images
      9. Simplify a path
      10. Symbolism tools and symbol sets
      11. Adjust path segments
      12. Design a flower in 5 easy steps
      13. Create and edit a perspective grid
      14. Draw and modify objects on a perspective grid
      15. Use objects as symbols for repeat use
      16. Draw pixel-aligned paths for web workflows
    2. Measurement
      1. Measure and plot dimensions
    3. 3D objects and materials
      1. About 3D effects in Illustrator
      2. Create 3D graphics
      3. Map artwork over 3D objects
      4. Create 3D Text
      5. Create 3D objects
    4. Color
      1. About color
      2. Select colors
      3. Use and create swatches
      4. Adjust colors
      5. Use the Adobe Color Themes panel
      6. Color groups (harmonies)
      7. Color Themes panel
      8. Recolor your artwork
    5. Painting
      1. About painting
      2. Paint with fills and strokes
      3. Live Paint groups
      4. Gradients
      5. Brushes
      6. Transparency and blending modes
      7. Apply stroke on an object
      8. Create and edit patterns
      9. Meshes
      10. Patterns
    6. Select and arrange objects
      1. Select objects
      2. Layers
      3. Expand, group, and ungroup objects
      4. Move, align, and distribute objects
      5. Align, arrange, and move objects on a path
      6. Snap objects to glyph
      7. Snap objects to Japanese glyph
      8. Stack objects    
      9. Lock, hide, and delete objects
      10. Copy and duplicate objects
      11. Rotate and reflect objects
      12. Intertwine objects
      13. Create realistic art mockups
    7. Reshape objects
      1. Crop images
      2. Transform objects
      3. Combine objects
      4. Cut, divide, and trim objects
      5. Puppet Warp
      6. Scale, shear, and distort objects
      7. Blend objects
      8. Reshape using envelopes
      9. Reshape objects with effects
      10. Build new shapes with Shaper and Shape Builder tools
      11. Work with Live Corners
      12. Enhanced reshape workflows with touch support
      13. Edit clipping masks
      14. Live shapes
      15. Create shapes using the Shape Builder tool
      16. Global editing
    8. Type
      1. Add text and work with type objects
      2. Reflow Viewer
      3. Create bulleted and numbered lists
      4. Manage text area
      5. Fonts and typography
      6. Convert text within images into editable text
      7. Add basic formatting to text
      8. Add advanced formatting to text
      9. Import and export text
      10. Format paragraphs
      11. Special characters
      12. Create type on a path
      13. Character and paragraph styles
      14. Tabs
      15. Find missing fonts (Typekit workflow)
      16. Arabic and Hebrew type
      17. Fonts | FAQ and troubleshooting tips
      18. Creative typography designs
      19. Scale and rotate type
      20. Line and character spacing
      21. Hyphenation and line breaks
      22. Spelling and language dictionaries
      23. Format Asian characters
      24. Composers for Asian scripts
      25. Create text designs with blend objects
      26. Create a text poster using Image Trace
    9. Create special effects
      1. Work with effects
      2. Graphic styles
      3. Appearance attributes
      4. Create sketches and mosaics
      5. Drop shadows, glows, and feathering
      6. Summary of effects
    10. Web graphics
      1. Best practices for creating web graphics
      2. Graphs
      3. SVG
      4. Slices and image maps
  7. Import, export, and save
    1. Import
      1. Place multiple files
      2. Manage linked and embedded files
      3. Links information
      4. Unembed images
      5. Import artwork from Photoshop
      6. Import bitmap images
      7. Import Adobe PDF files
      8. Import EPS, DCS, and AutoCAD files
    2. Creative Cloud Libraries in Illustrator 
      1. Creative Cloud Libraries in Illustrator
    3. Save and export
      1. Save artwork
      2. Export artwork
      3. Create Adobe PDF files
      4. Adobe PDF options
      5. Use Illustrator artwork in Photoshop
      6. Collect assets and export in batches
      7. Package files
      8. Extract CSS | Illustrator CC
      9. Document info panel
  8. Printing
    1. Prepare for printing
      1. Set up documents for printing
      2. Change the page size and orientation
      3. Specify crop marks for trimming or aligning
      4. Get started with large canvas
    2. Printing
      1. Overprint
      2. Print with color management
      3. PostScript printing
      4. Print presets
      5. Printer's marks and bleeds
      6. Print and save transparent artwork
      7. Trapping
      8. Print color separations
      9. Print gradients, meshes, and color blends
      10. White Overprint
  9. Automate tasks
    1. Data merge using the Variables panel
    2. Automation with scripts
    3. Automation with actions
  10. Troubleshooting 
    1. Fixed issues
    2. Known issues
    3. Crash issues
    4. Recover files after crash
    5. Safe mode
    6. File issues
    7. Supported file formats
    8. GPU device driver issues
    9. Wacom device issues
    10. DLL file issues
    11. Memory issues
    12. Preferences file issues
    13. Font issues
    14. Printer issues
    15. Share crash report with Adobe
    16. Improve Illustrator performance

Learn how to draw objects, bring them into perspective, and modify them to add depth and realism to your artwork.

  Explore the beta app

 Build 3D artwork in Project Neo (Beta) and bring it to Illustrator to create stunning dimensional designs, graphics, and illustrations.

Get started

As an artist or designer, you can use perspective grids to create the illusion of depth and space with shapes, text, and symbols. In Illustrator, you can draw and render artwork in perspective using the perspective grid.
You can use shape and type tools to draw objects and add text to your perspective. Previously, you learned how one-point, two-point, and three-point perspectives are defined. Now, you can start drawing objects in perspective to create the intended visual effect.

  Before you begin:

Draw objects in perspective

  1. Select the Perspective Grid   tool to view the grid in the document.

  2. Select the active plane where you want to create the object using the Plane Switching   widget.

  3. Use the drawing tools to draw objects on the perspective grid.

    Tip:

    You can specify the object's height, width, and other properties in perspective as you specify them in regular mode. 

Select objects in perspective

The Perspective Selection tool snaps the objects to the grid of the active plane while moving, scaling, duplicating objects in perspective, and bringing objects into perspective.

Select the Perspective Selection   tool or press Shift + V to display the left, right, and horizontal grid controls. Use the Perspective Selection tool to select objects on the perspective grid. 

Bring objects into perspective

When you bring an existing object or artwork into perspective, the appearance and scale of the selected object change. To bring regular objects into perspective, do the following:

  1. Select the object using the Perspective Selection   tool.

  2. Select the active plane where you want to place the object using the Plane Switching widget   .

  3. Drag and drop the object at the required location on the grid.

Use the Perspective Selection tool to bring objects into the perspective grid

Attach and release objects from perspective

If you've already created objects, you can attach objects to an active plane on the perspective grid. To add an object to the left, right, or horizontal grid:

  1. Select the object and then select the active plane on which you want to place the object using the Plane Switching widget  .

  2. Select Object > Perspective > Attach to Active Plane.

If you want to release an object from a perspective view, select Object > Perspective> Release with Perspective. The selected object is released from the associated perspective plane and is available as normal artwork.

Move, scale, and copy objects in perspective

You can move, copy, or scale objects in perspective using the Perspective Selection tool. You can also move objects in a perpendicular direction to the current object's location.

Do the following to move the object:

  1. Select the Perspective Selection   tool.

  2. Drag and drop objects to the required position. To constrain the movement, press Shift + drag. 

    Tip:

    While moving the objects, press 1, 2, 3, or 4 to change the plane.

Note:

Ensure that the Perspective Selection   tool is selected when moving, scaling, or copying objects on the grid. 

Move objects in perpendicular direction

Moving a rectangle in perpendicular to its initial position
Use the Perspective Selection tool to move a rectangle in perpendicular to its initial position

The technique is helpful when creating parallel objects, such as the walls of a room. 

  1. Select the object using the Perspective Selection   tool.

  2. Press 5 key as you drag the object to the required position.

Move grid planes in the perpendicular direction

Moving a rectangle in perpendicular by dragging the right grid plane
Move a rectangle perpendicularly by dragging the right grid plane

When you move an object perpendicularly, it's placed parallel to its existing or current location.

  1. Select the Perspective Selection     tool.

  2. Press Shift and drag the grid plane control depending on the grid plane where the object is placed.

Move all objects in precise perpendicular direction

  1. Double-click the required Right, Horizontal, and Left Grid Plane Controls using the Perspective Selection   tool.

  2. In the Vanishing Plane dialog box, specify the Location where the objects has to be moved.

  3. Select any of the following options:

    • Do Not Move: Restricts the movement when repositioning the grid.
    • Move All Objects: Moves all objects on the plane along with the grid movement.
    • Copy All Objects: Copies all objects on the plane.

Automate plane positioning

The automatic plane positioning allows you to create objects by inferring the height or depth of the object. For example, to draw a cube, the height of the top face of the cube must be known. With automatic plane positioning, the perspective grid automatically adjusts the horizontal grid plane to match the size of the cube's top face. Do the following to ensure that Automatic plane positioning is enabled:

  1. Double-click the Perspective Grid  tool.

  2. Select Anchor Point of Perspective Artwork and Intersection of Gridlines checkboxes.

When you draw or place objects, the object height can be inferred from:

  1. Other objects by pressing Shift as you hover over one of the anchor points (getting the anchor label) that temporarily hides other planes.
  2. Grid lines by pressing the Shift as you hover over the intersection point. Changing the plane in this state brings that plane to the selected offset.

Press Shift as you hover over one of the anchor points  to temporarily hide other planes

Move plane to match object

When you want to draw or bring objects in perspective at the same depth or height as the existing object:

  1. Select the existing object in perspective. 

  2. Select Object > Perspective > Move Plane to Match Object to bring the corresponding grid to the desired height or depth. 

Scale objects in perspective

You can modify the dimension of objects by dragging its bounding box using the Perspective Selection tool. While scaling objects in perspective, the following rules apply:

  • When you scale an object, the height or distance is scaled based on the object’s plane, not the current or active plane.

  • For multiple objects, scaling is done for objects on the same plane.

Copy objects in perspective

  • To copy the object, you can press Alt (Windows) or Option (macOS) as you drag the object.
  • To duplicate the object in a perpendicular direction, press Alt + 5 (Windows) or Option + 5 (macOS) as you drag the object.
  • To create a copy of the object parallel to its current position, press Alt (Windows) or Option (macOS) as you drag the grid plane control based on the grid plane where the object is placed.

Tips and tricks

Here are a few things you need to know while using keyboard shortcuts on the perspective grid:

  • Keyboard shortcuts used to draw objects in regular mode can be used on the perspective grid.
  • The arrow keys don't work when you move objects perpendicularly.
  • The keyboard shortcut 5 for perpendicular movement and the keyboard shortcuts 1, 2, and 3 for plane switching while drawing or moving objects don't work on the extended numeric keypad.

Bring text and symbols into perspective

You cannot directly add text and symbols to a perspective plane while the grid is visible. However, you can bring text or symbols into perspective after creating them in normal mode. Functionalities like replacing a symbol, breaking links when expanding the symbol instance, and resetting transformation don't work on symbols in perspective.

To bring text or symbols into perspective, do the following:

  1. Select the text or symbol from the document using the Perspective Selection   tool.

  2. Drag the object to the required position on the active plane of the grid.

  3. In the Control panel, select Edit Text or Edit Symbol to edit the object or double-click the object to edit text or symbols in isolation mode.

Control Panel with Edit Text options
Control Panel with Edit Text options

A. Edit Text B. Edit Perspective C. Isolate Selected Object 

Tip:
 A symbol definition that contains raster images, non-native art, envelope, legacy type, and gradient mesh is unsupported on the perspective grid.

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